1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a probe to be used for laser treatment of preferably neurological and rheumatic diseases or for preventative purposes.
2. Description of the Background Art
The use of lasers within science and medicine for the treatment of diseases and in therapy is currently widespread. Many researchers and research groups are performing experiments concerning tissue reactions in vitro in order to survey, predict and explain the effects of laser irradiation. Other researchers carry out tests in vivo on animals. Clinical research and clinical treatment have also been documented.
One of the persons who leads research in the field is Semion Rochkind, previously Chairman of the xe2x80x9cWorld Association for Laser Therapyxe2x80x9d. Rochkind""s profession is as a neurosurgeon at the Department of Neurosurgery, Tel Aviv, Sourasky Medical Center, Israel. He has studied laser therapy in relationship to peripheral nerves and spinal injuries since 1978.
The laser probes that are used for the treatment of patients have a plane treatment surface, which means that uneven parts and deformations on a body, when the probe is swept over them, create undesirable spaces between the body and the laser devices that exist on the [probe] surface. In order for an effective treatment to be achieved, the therapist who performs the treatment must know the exact light dose that is to be applied at various places of a body during treatment. Over- or underexposure, for example, means that the principally desired healing takes place in tissues or organs where it is not desired.
A therapist who performs treatment has many years of experience and must know where to apply radiation to tissue and how much to apply, for example, with respect to the power of the laser measured in mW, and which wavelength of light is most suitable for different types of treatment.
Thus, today""s laser probes constitute a problem when treating uneven parts of the body, that is, parts of the body that do not have only even skin.
Furthermore, known laser probes are slippery to hold, which is why the sweeping of a probe over a body surface, particularly one such as the spine with uneven parts, results in the one who is sweeping the probe easily slipping or in some other way losing his or her grip, leading to erroneous dosage of the light or other drawbacks. Furthermore, gels are often used to obtain better contact between the skin and the probe, and these are messy. Therapists and other health-care personnel often apply various salves to their hands in order to prevent drying of the skin, and this also introduces a risk for slipping when the probe is being swept. Laser probes are expensive instruments and will not survive, for example, being dropped on the floor. Thus it is important to obtain a more secure handgrip for the probe.
A laser probe is previously known from patent application JP 5-96018. The probe has the shape of a cup and is attached to the female breast with the aid of vacuum suction in order to stimulate the production of breast milk. Thus, it cannot be swept over a body, in particular a spine, and thus does not in any way solve the problems that the present invention solves. A cup-shaped probe cannot be continuously swept over, for example, a spine. Nor does the patent application state how closely the probe should be in contact with a part of the body. On the contrary, the attached drawing shows that the laser diodes that are used do not contact tightly against the part of the body, in this case a breast.
The probe according to the present invention is defined in more detail in the attached independent claims. Further embodiments of the probe are specified in the attached non-independent claims.
The invention concerns a probe to be used for laser treatment of body tissue. In one aspect of the invention the problem concerning the treatment area of the probe is solved such that it can be used on uneven parts of a body, such as the human spine.
Another aspect of the invention comprises that it will be possible to sweep the probe held by a hand along a pathway with uneven sections in a smooth manner in order to facilitate adequate treatment and minimize the risk that the probe is dropped.
A further aspect of the invention makes possible treatment of a body structure with the probe in one coherent motion.
In order to solve problems associated with instruments for laser treatment, a probe with a handgrip is specified in the present invention for laser treatment of uneven parts or deformations of a body. It has a surface that lies against the body during treatment. Furthermore, the surface comprises laser devices. The surface according to the invention is at least partially domed from one of its side edges to another of its side edges or along a diagonal line in order to be able to surround as tightly as possible the said uneven parts or deformations when the probe is in use and swept over a body.
If the contact surface of the probe is circular, the doming preferentially stretches over its diameter.
In one embodiment of the invention at least one laser device is included in the doming.
A further embodiment of the invention comprises the doming having a smooth surface treatment, which facilitates the sweeping of the probe along a body structure.
A further embodiment of the invention specifies that the doming is elastically designed so that it yields to a certain extent when touched or changes its form according to the body structure that it is swept along when the probe is in use.
In a further embodiment of the present invention the probe comprises a device for adjustment of the domed surface such that it becomes possible to adapt it to different structures on a body.
A further embodiment of the present invention comprises the handgrip being coated with a material that increases its adhesiveness to a hand, whereby the probe cannot deviate so easily from the direction in which it is intended that it should move during contact.